Salvation: A Brief History of the NEU
by Jesse De La Rosa
Summary: The Salvation Saga continues soon with Installment 3, "Lair of the Shadow Broker" - in the meantime enjoy this Codex Entry on the New Earth Union - Earth's first true form of government after the defeat of the Combine.


**Within the Salvation Universe, the New Earth Government, or the N.E.U. is first true form of government seen on Earth since before the Seven Hours War. What follows is a brief historical summary of just some of the events that have taken place between the Earth Rebellion against the Combine, and the War against the Reapers.**

The NEU was formed on November 12 2007, just three short months after the end of the Earth Rebellion. The assault on the Combine Stronghold in City 19 (Volgograd, Russia) and the battle of Fortress-44 in Lorient, France assured victory for the human/vortigaunt rebels and wiped out the last remaining Combine forces left on Earth.

But with the Combine defeated, and the Earth quite literally in ruins, the human and vortigaunt survivors of the long and arduous war found themselves with the unenviable task of rebuilding the shattered earth. The remnants of humanity looked primarily to the heroes of the rebellion for leadership. But so many had already fallen in battle including Eli Vance, Gordon Freeman, John Freeman, Barney Calhoun, and Odessa Cubbage to name just a few.

In the early morning hours of November 11th 2007, the surviving members of the resistance group that had come to be known across the world as "The One and Six" convened with the Resistance leaders from City 23; the most notable of these being Henry Freeman - freedom fighter, son of the recently KIA war-hero John Freeman, and nephew of the legendary One Free Man, Gordon Freeman.

On November 12th, 2007 the New Earth Accord was signed, officially giving birth to the "New Earth Union." Initially, the governing power of the NEU came in the form of a chancellery panel known as "The Council of Five". Its original members were Alyx Vance (affectionately nicknamed Mother of New Earth by the masses), Uriah Guallam Bauk Go'rel (known to most humans simply as Uriah the vort), Henry Freeman, Dr. Judith Mossman, and, Vitali Popov (A Ukrainian born resistance fighter who spent 15 months undercover as a Combine Soldier, relaying valuable intel to the resistance that would prove pivotal in the war).

The Council of Five's first official act and executive order was the absolute and total destruction of any and all teleportation technology. The order was a hard blow for the surviving vortigaunts on Earth, as with it, also went the possibility of ever returning home to their beloved Xen. Vortigaunts and humans alike, however, understood that the risk was far too great, and so they coped. It wasn't long, however, before it was discovered that the now deactivated Combine Suppression Fields had a permanent effect on vortigaunt physiology, making reproduction for their species impossible.

Still, humans and vortigaunts alike are resilient. And so time marched on. Eventually, the vortigaunt population on Earth dwindled, until in 2079, a vortigaunt by the name of Kruu Jan So'nehaa - the last remaining vortigaunt uttered his final words on his death bed - "Ahhhr, gaharra alla lillimah." Roughly translated, this means "we have been delivered from slavery"

The loss of "the last vortigaunt" didn't keep the world from turning however. Humanity continued to rebuild, and cities and nations continued to grow. It wasn't long before disputes began to arise over borders, and which lands rightly belonged to which nations. One of the most notable examples of this type of turmoil came in the year 2096. The United States had re-flourished, but it was far from the former super-power it once was. With Canadian and Mexican Governments both disagreeing over established pre-war boundaries, a civil war across the entire North American Continent broke out. It wasn't until a direct intervention from the NEU and lengthy negotiations, that the bloody conflict came to an end, resulting in the formation in what is today known as the United North American States, or the UNAS.

Over time, as humanity continued to grow and evolve, the NEU's authority diminished, changing from a parliamentary power to more of an international mediator which sought to maintain peace, similar to the role of the United Nations of the 20th century.

Seventy years after the death of the last vortigaunt on earth, in the year 2149, human space explores - intrepid and undaunted by the past - discovered that Pluto's moon, Charon, was actually a massive, ancient piece of alien technology which would make light-speed travel across the stars possible. Even though the NEU's anti-teleportation technology laws were still on the books, these laws had long since been considered antiquated statutes that no longer applied to the modern zeitgeist. Enticed by the possibility of expansion and the discovery of new worlds rich in resources, the device (which would later come to be called a Mass Relay) was activated, officially heralding what has come to be known as "The Mass Effect Era"

During the latter part of the same year, a historic charter was signed by the 18 largest nations on Earth, officially dissolving what remained of the NEU, and in turn giving birth to the modern day System's Alliance. Today, the New Earth Government is looked upon as the archetype of modern human civilization - the first shining beacon of a civilized society after a time when humanity came to the brink of extinction. And so, in spite of how far we may go, we must never forget how far we've come. Libertate Per Unitatem. Liberty Through Unity.


End file.
